


Mother's Day

by arborealstops



Category: 9 to 5 the Musical - Parton/Resnick
Genre: F/F, Gen, Mother's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24124366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arborealstops/pseuds/arborealstops
Summary: It had been years since Josh Newstead had made a mother’s day card.  The last time had been, what… the fifth grade?  But here he was, seven and a half years later, halfway through moving into his college dorm, sitting amongst boxes and parts of Ikea furniture, making a card.
Relationships: Judy Bernly/Violet Newstead
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	Mother's Day

**Author's Note:**

> hollie this is your fault
> 
> it is almost 4 am there is no beta there is nothing i'm just not asleep still

It had been years since Josh Newstead had made a mother’s day card. The last time had been, what… the fifth grade? But here he was, seven and a half years later, halfway through moving into his college dorm, sitting amongst boxes and parts of Ikea furniture, making a card. His second one of the day.

He’d gotten the idea from an arts and crafts hangout his dorm had done the night before, making little things to hang up on their bedroom walls. And Josh had seen some of the things his roommates had made, little paper frames for family pictures, and he’d suddenly been overwhelmed by the desire to make something for his mom.

Usually for mother’s day, he would go out for dinner with Violet and buy her a dessert or something. That is, if either of them remembered the holiday. It had been easier when his dad had been around- he’d spoil Violet senseless, buy her dinner and flowers and take her out for a movie. But the last time that had happened, Josh had still been at the age where the school sent him home with some terribly-traced handprint and a paper rose stuck together with dried-up gluesticks.

He looked down at the card on the coffee table in front of him. It was different than the ones he’d made in elementary school- there was no clear-dry glue or sparkly pens. There was, though, a handprint traced, in pencil, on the back of the card. He’d felt a little childish making it, but then again, that was kind of the point- to be like a little kid again, at least for a minute.

He looked down at the card again. He’d decorated the front with his mother’s name, and the inside held a cheesy poem and, probably the most important part- a photograph. He thumbed the edge of it, smiling softly before moving to grab the phone off the wall. Dialing his mom’s number, he held the receiver to his ear, waiting for her to pick up.

“Hey, mom? Yeah, it’s Josh. Are you home?”

He listened to her talk with a grin, chattering about work and what she was doing and the new guy at the office. 

“Mom- Mom!” He cut her off, laughing. “That sounds great,” he replied. “Hey, are you up for mother’s day dinner tonight?”

He hesitated a second until she confirmed. “Yeah, love you too mom. Hey, uh…” He shifted his weight nervously for a second before finally asking, “You should bring Judy with you.”

He smiled softly, tilting his head and looking at the cards on the table. “Yeah. Yeah, I can’t wait. Love you.”

Hanging up the phone, he tucked the cards into envelopes, grabbing his keys from the hook by the door and heading out.

\--

“Hey, mom!” Josh jogged up to the restaurant entrance, grinning as he approached his mom. He gave her a quick hug, then turned to his mom’s companion.

“Hi, Judy,” he added, giving her a quick hug too. 

The two women were standing close to each other, their hands brushing together. It hurt Josh’s chest to watch the two of them be unable to really be together out there in public. He’d known about their relationship since… well, he’d guessed even before they’d told him, and they’d told him about a year ago. He hadn’t minded- Judy was sweet, and she loved talking to him about school and girls and the music he was into now. 

They were led to their table and quickly ordered drinks. Josh fiddled with the envelopes tucked into his pocket as Judy and Violet chattered, telling him everything they could think of about work and how empty the house was without him. He grinned through it all, enjoying the chance to catch up with the two of them. 

“Doralee’s got a new gig- all the way in Tennessee!” Judy grinned, practically bouncing in her seat. “Your mom said she might take me down there. It’s been a long time since we got to see her…” She trailed off, giving Violet this sappy, puppy-eyed look that made Josh want to hide under the table.

That seemed like the best time to interrupt, he decided. Pulling out one of the envelopes, the one addressed to his mom, he held it out. “Happy mother’s day, mom.”

Violet’s eyes widened as she took the card from him. “Josh-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” he cut her off, holding up a hand. Violet gave him a quizzical look, but he just smiled nervously in response.

“Judy…” he began, bringing the other woman back into the conversation. “Happy mother’s day.”

He held out the other envelope, trying not to show how nervous he was. His goal was to make Judy feel more like part of the family, part of their family. But he also knew that Judy was emotional, and vulnerable, and he knew that she hadn’t had a good relationship with her family since she’d started dating Violet. He wasn’t sure if the card would be too much, or if it wouldn’t be enough. 

He had almost started shaking when Judy finally reached for the envelope. She took it slowly, reading the messy scrawl on the front that spelled out her name. Her eyes welled up with tears, and Josh blushed, looking away. Clearly, the card had been a pretty good idea.

“Josh-” Judy tried speaking, but her voice broke and she looked up at Josh, hugging the envelope to her chest.

He smiled softly, shyly. “Happy mother’s day, Judy,” he said quietly, and before he knew what was happening she had burst into tears. 

“Oh, Judy, I- I’m so sorry-” He reached for Judy’s hand, grasping it just as Violet wrapped her up in a hug. 

“Don’t- don’t apologize,” Judy sniffled, squeezing his hand and resting her head against Violet’s shoulder. She gave Josh a meaningful look. “Do you mean it?”

_Oh._ Well that just about broke Josh’s heart in two. He gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Of course, Judy.”

She smiled back, the look watery but undeniably happy. She looked down at the envelope in her hands, finally opening it and leaning away from Violet so she could open her own.

The front of the card, in very elaborate purple and pink lettering, in a font that Josh had copied from a book in the library, read ‘Happy Mother’s Day!’ Inside was a silly doodle of a cartoon heart with a goofy face- but on the other side, taped strategically inside, was a photograph- the same one that was in Violet’s card. 

It was a photo from almost half a year ago, from Josh’s graduation. Josh, Judy and Violet stood in front of their garage- one on each side of him, and him in his cap and gown. You couldn’t tell from the photo, but the three of them all knew that Judy and Violet were holding hands behind Josh’s back. They’d been so happy that day, the three of them together, that they hadn’t minded whether anyone would see. It was one of the only pictures where the three of them really looked like a family. That’s why Josh had chosen it. 

Judy’s eyes were still watery when she looked back up at Josh, and when he looked over at his mom, her eyes were filled with tears as well. 

“Josh,” Violet finally managed to speak. “This is so sweet.”

He shrugged shyly. “It’s nothing.”

Judy shook her head, wiping her eyes. “I- come here,” she said, standing up and pulling Violet with her. Josh followed suit, smiling as they both pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank you, Josh,” Judy whispered, squeezing him tightly.

He smiled. “Happy mothers day,” Josh finally replied, hugging Judy and Violet. Hugging his moms.


End file.
